"Stop Press!" Blog

When adding a Blog on our website, we wanted to offer an alternative aspect to the life of a choir, without drifting into mere adverts for forthcoming events. Two good things have recently happened that confirm that vision for the blog:

Firstly, we have been delighted to welcome some recent guests to our rehearsal base! We are looking forward to a private engagement we will be fulfilling next Spring and we had a chance mid-month for up-to-date conversations in that respect. We were also delighted last week to welcome Keith and his wife, Julie. Keith is the Chairman of Millhouse Green Male Voice Choir and we are currently arranging a venue for our joint concert next September when his Pennine-based MVC comes to Norwich! With much in common - we are both 'no audition' outfits and our respective members do not need to proficiently read music - based upon existing choir banter, it already promises to be a great evening! Outline details are on our 'See Us Sing' calendar and the final details will be confirmed 'ASAP'.

Secondly, a story is important to tell from our September open rehearsals: one gent was very interested in taking up regular singing and, with his splendid voice, frankly, we hoped he would choose to join us. However, he was not local to Norwich and had to rely upon others for transport, so after a month with us, he decided to seek out a singing opportunity local to him. We are naturally disappointed, but we wish him well in his new singing group with an open and honest heart. Yes, gentlemen, do please join us and enjoy membership of Norwich's Phoenix Male Voice Choir, but this story is a great reminder of our mission as part of a wider community of song... ...to remind men that they can sing, to get them singing and to keep them singing. In that respect, mission accomplished!

However, in acknowledging BBC's Match of the Day 2 'Two Good; Two Bad' item, blogs are not just for good news... ...anybody with anything to do with what is good in football can not have failed to have been affected by Saturday evening's events in Leicester which claimed the lives of Leicester City FC's owner, Mr Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and 4 other souls. Several of our own members are fervent Norwich City FC season ticket holders and have followed the Canaries' highs and lows over many years, so need no imagination to understand the enormous sense of loss there now is in and around the King Power Stadium, with Leicester City's football club supporters, and in the wider community. In 2016, perhaps a little bit of all of us became Leicester City FC supporters just for a while. Maybe we are again as the families of all those caught up in this terrible tragedy remain in our thoughts.

Our second piece of bad news is closer to home. We were hoping to welcome back our friend and singing colleague Fred Lake after some medical treatment, but, very sadly, it was not to be. Fred was the epitome of the soul of our Choir - a kind-hearted gent who supported Phoenix, sang for fun, and who enjoyed his singing, enjoyed the camaraderie and enjoyed sharing his hobby with us. Our thoughts are with Fred's family and with everyone who mourns his passing. We have lost a member of our own singing family and we will miss him greatly.